the gracious gaze

two-in-one trend edition: floral mint jeans

2012-02-23T09:44:00.000-05:00

Floral pants and colored denim (think necco wafer colors, especially) are two hugely popular trends for this year's warming weather. I love the way they look on other people, but so far I haven't quite been able to buy in to either one. (Though it is only February, I mean, who knows? Trends are kind of anti-simple closet, I think, but they sure are fun, aren't they? And sometimes, I have to tell you, fun wins. Especially in grad school!)

Here is my girl crush Krystal in both looks, just to give you an idea (and also to remind us all of how gorgeous San Francisco is...sigh.)

Anyway, this pair of DvF floral mint jeans seemed to wonderfully capture both trends at once but become something extra funky & unique, which I love! Diane Von Furstenberg has partnered with Current/Elliot to make some jeans. Doesn't this almost look D-I-Y-able? (Almost.)

I have to say, if something like this joins the ranks here or here I might not be able to resist a pair. ;-)

via

In other news, Diane is in my good book right now not only for her delicious denim...she nominated one of DC's best organizations (the Tarhirih Justice Center) for one of these awards. Cool!!

our weekend!

2012-02-22T01:53:00.001-05:00

Though we aspired to do nothing over the long weekend, we actually ended up being quite busy but we had a great time! We even got a little work done, which like, never happens around here. :-)

We used a Groupon to test out kitchen 2404 for some soul food, watched Moneyball at home (thanks to netflix!), drove up to Laurel, Maryland for a dinner date with our new friends, had a study party at our place with another Yalie (go bulldogs!), walked around Georgetown, went to this amazing exhibit at the Renwick gallery and got to see P's aunt, uncle and cousin for dinner on Sunday night and then another special family of friends on Monday night for even more dinner! (Looking at that list I see how prominent dinner was in our weekend. Oh, well. Could be worse!)

Something of Splendor, the exhibit at the Renwick, is all about the legacy of the White House furnishings. It's nuts! Lots of gorgeous, funky, old stuff. (Our favorite kind.) Here are a few photos of my favorite things (from their website), Although they don't list the absolute coolest piece -- a yellow sofa from the Camelot years -- so you'll just have to go visit yourself sometime.

Isn't the boat the coolest? They'd put flowers in there and use it as a centerpiece! genius.

I love this quote from this article about the exhibit. “A chair in the White House is not just a chair. Because the White House is imbued with such symbolism and importance, people pay attention to what’s there and like to debate things like: Is it too fancy? Where did it come from? What does it say about the family that picked it?”

Fancy that!

oh, henry!

2012-02-21T05:30:00.000-05:00

Do you see that beautiful gray chair? The one that looks so comfy and soft? (It is!) The one that brings all of our old world furniture up to speed with our zebra stool? (Yeah!) The one I would sleep in if my husband wouldn't think I was acting strange??? (It is so comfortable!)

That is Henry! Our newest living room addition. We didn't name him Henry -- West Elm did -- but I think it fits quite nicely.

P and I used our friends' visit last weekend as an excuse to splurge on our very first new piece of furniture! I was on the lookout for an extra place to sit that was extra comfy but didn't take up too much room. Thank you, Henry!

(Of course we are still devoted to Craig's List, which is where everything else you see in this picture came from, but after I spent a summer working at a museum with an exhibit about bedbugs I'm just not sure I can be so cavalier with used upholstery anymore! I'm a ruined woman.)

It is wonderful.

Come over and have tea with us so you can sit in our new chair! But don't you spill that tea on the chair, or you will be in big trouble. ;-)

flatland

2012-02-20T05:30:00.000-05:00

{via pinterest}

I thought I'd kick off the week with an assortment of cute shoes... I don't know about you but that seems to kick my Monday blues.

{j.crew}

When I was in high school I discovered modern dance, which felt like ballet's cooler cousin. I couldn't get enough. These flats seem like that -- like maybe ballet flats studied abroad in Italy and came back with a lot of funky jewelry and a cool tatoo. :-)

And speaking of ballet flats, I've thought this pair from Payless looked comfortable and sort of different. Plus, TOMS has also made a few pairs that look pretty cute! {Remember our TOMS talk?}

{Nordstrom}

Plus, I've heard great things about this pair from Target, which is only $15.

{target}

I love ballet flats, do you? Chic and easy.

Happy Weekend!

2012-02-18T05:30:00.001-05:00

Ona -- the ultimate camera bag

We are going to try to do NOTHING this weekend.
What about you?

;-)

See you Monday!

shopbop's ideal simple closet for the working girl

2012-02-17T05:30:00.000-05:00

As part of a new workwear lookbook series, Shopbop recently compiled this capsule collection for the working girls' ideal simple closet!

I like to keep track of things like this (see Kate Spade's similar collection here) for a few reasons. First of all, it's inspiring to see the different combinations (even if none are particularly revolutionary) since they hit home the idea that you don't really need that many articles of clothing to generate a lot of very cool looks! Second, it is part of a trend that I want to watch, where marketing includes an assumption that we want to make smart, simple choices. How flattering!

I love these sorts of lists -- mostly because I think it is great for all of us to think more about different ways of wearing what we have, and trying to find new things that wouldn't take much work to effortlessly make lots of different looks! I love that the simple closet is now a selling strategy, as ironic a that is, since it means that what companies think we are looking for as consumers is smart & selective, rather than excessive & extravagant.

Plus, ever since I saw the Blind Side I wanted to try to incorporate snake print into my wardrobe... but more on that later.

:-)

What do you think of stuff like this? Is it helpful in thinking about simplicity and new uses for different things... or is it just a convenient way to justify a new purchase? (I'm talking to YOU, python flats... )

date night: valentine's day & 6 month anniversary at Oyamel

2012-02-16T05:30:00.001-05:00

We had the best Valentine's Day date at Oyamel... with possibly the best food P and I have ever had. Ever. (On February 13th, we'd been married for 6 months, so we were sort of celebrating that, too! We will basically celebrate anything we can.)

Anyway, we Loved Oyamel.

You'll see not pictured above tuna ceviche with pecans (what?) and quinoa... it didn't stand a chance. we devoured it before I even remembered I owned a camera. :-) This was my first time at Oyamel and it was totally fantastic. It is tiny dish style (which I love, because then I can try a million things!) so we ordered guacamole, brussel sprouts, mushroom quesadilla, pork battered in negro modelo (couldn't resist) and steak in mole sauce. Oh my gosh. Every single thing was amazing. Also, I had a margarita. Which was delicious. Also, I was sitting with my sweetie. Also delicious.

Because we had a gift card and a dining cheque from Open Table... our bill was only $1!! We thought that was pretty sweet, as far as Valentine's Day gifts go. Ha! Lucky us. :-)

photos from our weekend

2012-02-15T05:30:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend my dear friends came to visit us in DC!! We had so much fun catching up and being girly. And sort of squinty. Just me on that last one. The weekend included cupcakes and watching Contagion (so scary!) and eastern market and busboys and poets.
Also, I brought home a new addition to the P&K household... a small paper mache deer.

(As we strolled through Georgetown -- an obligatory stop on the DC tour for visitors! -- we happened into West Elm, where this little fellow was marked down to $5!! They mistakenly think of him as a "holiday" item, but around here he is a friend for all seasons.)

guard the bookshelf!

After H & A had to leave, I still had my new friend!

P and I also had the chance to babysit... here he is, looking like an adorable giant in front of a tiny kitchen.

The weekend was good to us! Filled with friends. Old and new. Human and paper mache. Adult and Toddler. ;-)

a morning morsel: emily dickinson {for valentine's day}

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

{pinterest}

Affection is like bread, unnoticed 'til we starve. and then we dream of it, and sing of it, and paint it.

Emily Dickinson

{photos of us by one and only paris}

Happy Valentine's Day to my funny valentine.

We have been married for six months now!

A very happy six months, too.

And I bet the next six will be even happier.

Not that we have to be happy all the time... but I sure have not minded it so far!

Tonight we are headed out on the town armed with an open table "dining cheque" and my little black dress. (Those open table "points" really do mean something after all!)

Most of the candy from our valentine corner is... well, gone. ;-)

But some flowers did appear there... so it isn't so empty.

After dinner maybe we will end up at home watching The Simpsons, because they really know how to do romance... what can I say? This is the life.

de-stress your graduate students here :-)

2012-02-13T05:30:00.001-05:00

Just for fun, over the weekend I put together a little amazon affiliate store of gift ideas for graduate students. (Maybe you have a grad student valentine this year??) This is a collection of things that have made this year so much more comfortable for me, and a few thought-provoking books.
Enjoy! (Psst... anything I should add to this list?)

happy weekend!

2012-02-11T05:30:00.000-05:00

{images via ban.do}

Happy Saturday!

My dear dear friends from New Haven are visiting this weekend, and P and I are so happy to be showing them our favorite places! And by places I generally mean... spots to get pizza. ;-) Hope you have fun plans, too.

See you on Monday!

valentine's day gift guides

2012-02-10T05:30:00.000-05:00

temporary tattoo image via A Cup of Jo ;-)

My favorite gift guides are from A Cup of Jo (I have stolen so many of her good ideas and passed them off as my own come Christmas!) but I also tend to love In Style and Real Simple for unique, fun gift ideas. Here are the links for V-day gifts in case you need a little help like I do. (Psst... I already got something from one of these lists for P!)

Real Simple Valentine's Day Gifts for Him // A Cup of Jo 10 Valentine's Day Gifts for Men // In Style Pinterest Valentine's Day gift guide

;-)

my packing list: weekend in Austin with the girls

2012-02-09T05:30:00.000-05:00

In all honesty, I didn't wear most of what I packed for my trip to Austin. Despite our best intentions to "go out" and see the sights, most nights the four of us ended up staying in and catching up over wine and/ viewings of Bridesmaids, wearing yoga pants... or hiking, wearing yoga pants. :-)
That said -- I wanted to remember what I packed for a warm weather weekend with friends so that next time I get the chance (hopefully not too long from now?) I can use this as a guide.

(These are all pieces pulled from the ideal simple closet, which I stuck to in real life, images courtesy of net-a-porter.com.)

the list:

army jacket, skinny jeans, bootcut jeans, striped t, gray sweater, pretty tank, sunglasses, girlie skirt, moccasins, heels, cheetah print flats, and a metallic clutch

the thought process:

For bar-hopping? Skinny jeans, heels, and the striped t would be gorgeous without being over-the-top.

For brunch-having and downtown-seeing? The girly skirt, moccasins and gray sweater would be cute but comfortable.

For post-hike coffee runs? Jeans, an army jacket, tank top and cheetah print flats are casual and cool.

Of course, all you really need is a weekend that your friends are all free. (Miracle!)

Plus a toothbrush and some pajamas don't hurt!

Other packing lists here...

for a weekend road trip,

an academic conference,

a honeymoon in Greece,

& a whirlwind trip to Paris

money money money: budgeting?

2012-02-08T05:30:00.001-05:00

Source: dsharp.typepad.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Friends, if you're out there, I want to ask about your thoughts on budgeting.

To be totally honest, despite my best intentions (which I swear were very good!) I have never really been good at creating a budget. It always seemed like such a good idea, but there were times when my income was sort of irregular (I've mostly worked as a salesgirl, so sometimes I would have more hours and sometimes less) and it wasn't until I moved to Connecticut that I really covered my own expenses, since before that my parents graciously kept me on the roll call. Plus I have this bad habit of shopping, and I drink a lot of coffee!

But aside from trying to curb those last two bits, I hadn't done much in the way of becoming more financially responsible before the wedding.

Now, though, there is this other person who sees my debit card transactions! And also, P and I have loved that talking about our goals together can be a fun sort of visioning for our relationship. Who do we want to be giving money to? Do we want to save for a down payment? What kind of house would we love to live in?

For the first few months we were married, we came up with a budget at the beginning of every month. We used an envelope system and withdrew cash so that we'd have a sense for how much was left in each category as the month inched along. This way, if we were spending more than we'd allotted, we could see clearly where we were "taking" money from. We had categories like groceries, gas, and personal spending money (which explains this!) so that we still had a little flexibility.

We liked that system, but for this month we've started something new.

Basically, at the beginning of the month we want to "pay ourselves" first -- putting a certain amount aside for giving and saving, and move those out of our checking account asap. Then for the rest of the money we have, we are just going to try to spend as little as possible and check in with each other about what we want to buy. The only bad part about creating categories for each expense and having a set amount to work with was that we didn't really feel any incentive to spend less than that. And when I say we, I mostly mean me. And when I say "categories" I mostly mean personal money. Heh. No, but really, it would be great to challenge ourselves to cut back in certain areas. So this month, we took away the envelopes, and are just going to have a weekly check-in to keep on top of it.

Of course, creating a regular budget still seems like a good idea! So, I don't know. We are still experimenting. I'd love to know what works for you... ?

decorate with pink!

2012-02-07T09:11:00.001-05:00

Coco and Kelley have some advice for single ladies... decorate with pink before you live with a boy! ;-)

(Of course, nice boys let you get away with it anyway, at least in small doses. I've managed an old pink chair myself, but I do try to curb my Disney princess tendencies for the most part. These pictures are giving me a few ideas, though... )

{photos via pinterest}

our latest wall art -- it's us!

2012-02-07T05:30:00.000-05:00

P and I found a groupon for a canvas photo enlargement, so we immortalized one of our favorite engagement photos and hung it up on our wall! (From our best side, you know.)

Someday we really will paint those walls, but in the mean time I suppose I'll just keep filling them with photos!

the look for less: valentine's day dress

2012-02-06T09:13:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for a cute red dress with a little swing, Anthropologie's Hourglass Sand Dress is on sale... though Old Navy is giving them a run for their money with this look-a-like!

Anthropologie Dress: $79.95 Old Navy Dress: $19.50

our studio is ready for valentine's day!

2012-02-06T05:30:00.000-05:00

Since we don't have a lot of space I have taken over our little ledge in the name of St. Valentine! Blah blah blah Hallmark blah blah blah senseless consumerism blah blah blah shaming single people... Valentine's Day is a joyous occasion! Candy, cards for everyone in the class, and another excuse to use my LOVE banner. Which you might remember from our wedding. And christmas. And you might be able to guess that it will be making a few more appearances around here.

Also, that would be our cake topper.

(See, living in a studio apartment doesn't mean you can't have some hoarder-tendencies... especially when it comes to your wedding.)

have a terrific weekend!

2012-02-04T05:30:00.000-05:00

Audrey Hepburn via community.livejournal.com via Liza on Pinterest

What do you have planned this weekend? P & I are headed to a party tonight and just might watch the Superbowl tomorrow (or at least the commercials!) with some friends. See you Monday!

P.S. Don't smoke!

in which a girl left alone too long rearranges furniture in the name of learning

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I woke up just feeling blah blah blah in a funk, like maybe I'm coming down with a cold. So I did what anyone would do -- I put on some country music.

But somehow sitting at the table reading my book just didn't cut it.

I needed something more exciting.

So I moved our furniture around and created... ta da... my very own reading nook!

But, something was still missing...

Perfect.

Yes, it sort of blocks the balcony... and no it is not technically a "nook," just a side of the room next to our china cabinet. But still. Isn't it grand?

Note: My book is called The Problem of Harm in World Politics. I know, seems obvious right? Harm. But no. We have to explain what is problematic about harm.

Ah, well.

Off to read in my reading nook! Cheerio!

what i wore: winter date

2012-02-02T07:49:00.000-05:00

On our road trip to Virginia Beach a few weeks ago, P and I went out on the town. Sometimes an oversized sweater is just the thing to add to a glitzy cocktail dress...

our trip to grandale farm

2012-02-01T05:30:00.000-05:00

My mom is a very important scientist, so she has to come out to DC about once a month to go to meetings... and to see us!! (Luckily, she always has tons to do so she doesn't mind spending copious amounts of time with me in coffee shops or at my apartment while we sit quietly and I do my homework.)

However, this time we decided to head out on a little adventure!

That is how, on Saturday, I ended up at one of my all time favorite places on Earth... Grandale Farm! You may remember it from such weddings and rehearsal dinners as MINE AND P'S!! :-)

It may also be familiar from the trip this same trio (me, mom & P) took about a year ago where, ambitiously, we set out to find a wedding venue in one weekend. And you know what? We did! And it was awesome!

It is hard to believe that when we first saw Grandale Farm, on that trip, it was covered in snow. Somehow we could still tell that it was the place for us. And we had hope that it would be green and lush by August. Then we each tried our first bite at their farm-to-table restaurant... and we knew we may as well have already signed on the dotted line. They took care of the green grass and the pink lemonade.

{Cramer Photo}

It is so wonderful to have gotten married at a place that you can go back and visit. It was just so special to be able to be there again. If you find a restaurant on a farm in a peach orchard... my advice is go on and get married! You can go back for lunch any time you want. ;-)

Also, I just have to tell you, when I first talked to Chef Author (and everyone else) about wanting an "afternoon tea"at the wedding, he looked at me like I was a little nuts. I mean, he went with it, as did my handsome groom, because I was the bride and if (for some reason) the bride wants teeny tiny sandwiches and little frosted cakes, she gets to have them. C'mon. This is America.

{bride's choice: our petite fours by Kara Maureen; photographed by Cramer Photo}

But then -- guess what? You'll never guess. You'll never guess what made it on to the dessert menu at Grandale Farm...

A victory for girliness everywhere. Just sayin'.

Anyway, it was really really fun to go back and visit our special little spot. It will be exciting to see how the place changes over the years, but I hope we have a long time ahead of being able to visit and pretend we are back on that fun fun fun day.

A Year of Simple Closet Shopping: January

2012-01-31T05:30:00.000-05:00

{this year I'm tracking my closet additions on the blog -- explanation here and December shopping summary here}

January 2012

Purchase 1: Polka Dot Blouse

(Old Navy -- $20)

Why: No real reason -- but I saw this blouse a few months ago when it was full-price and fell in love with its dottiness. This seemed like it would work for school, could dress up for a conference or date night, and could work on the weekend, too. Polka dots. Le sigh.

3 ways to wear? With gray trousers and ankle boots, with skinny jeans and red heels, with black pencil pants and ballet flats.

Purchase 2: Dolman Sleeve Jersey Tunic

(Target -- $18.00)

Why? Since my health has been up and down, I've really longed for comfortable clothes to wear that don't look... er... like I've given up on life. Long, soft shirts that I can wear with leggings are the perfect thing. I wish I had one million of these. Or at least 2. But there was only one in XS at Target when I found it. No matter. I might just wear this one every day. It makes me feel like I'm wearing pajamas, but also looks sort of cute in a flashdance way. ;-) Even better? The bottom is stretchy, so you can pull it up and it becomes a blouse-y top that would work with jeans or trousers for life-off-the-couch.

3 ways to wear? With leggings and a cup of coffee; with black pants and embellished flats; with a scarf, skinny jeans and cheetah print flats.

available online too

Purchase 3: Sweaterdress
(Old Navy -- $10)
Why? Similar to the top above -- this dress is part of a quest to find a way to dress comfortably but still look sort of normal. I really think this semester is going to be smoother, health-wise, than last semester, since I'll be going to physical therapy and *getting better*! But. In the meantime, clothes that feel good are good. (Sidenote: I just saw this has a lot of negative reviews online, but for what it's worth I love it. It's probably a bit short for bare legs, but it works great with leggings.) And yes. More Old Navy. I'm not sure why -- I just love them! Although everything I like is on sale, which is terrific for me, but might mean my style is not sticking around.
3 ways to wear? With leggings and brown boots; with patterned tights, jewelry & dressy boots for nighttime, with skinny jeans (with the waist pulled slightly higher to make it more of a tunic) and boots.

available online, too (for slightly more $ -- ?)

Purchase 4: Hot Pink Blouse
(H&M -- $25)
Why? Umm. Sort of weird... I had a dream that I had a bright pink button down and really loved it... and then I wanted one. Erm. Weird. I know. But anyway. I love it. Prophetic.
3 ways to wear? (Or even one way to wear?!) -- I'm thinking tucked into a black skirt with red heels, with rolled up sleeves over jeans, or -- for crazy color-blocking -- with my turquoise skirt. How would you wear it?

Total: $73
Rating: All four of these things are useful & fun for the upcoming semester, but nothing is secondhand, which is too bad. AND it all comes from fast-fashion cheap stores that potentially have questionable labor practices, but it was all pretty reasonably priced (in my opinion) so isn't that the struggle? It is so tempting, with a small budget, to get as much as I can for as little as possible, but that is actually not the way I want to be. Goal for next month: Save up for bigger ticket things instead of stocking up on too many cheap items and try to buy used instead of new.

rainy friday

2012-01-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

Though we have been having a mild mild winter over here, it was still hard to come back from sunny (70 degree) Austin and bundle up again. On Friday it was a bit drizzly so I had to call in the big guns.

Crazy rainboots and... hot chocolate.

By the afternoon, there was even a little sun peeking out!

Another week is here -- off we go!

a morning morsel: a. a. milne

2012-01-29T11:24:00.001-05:00

'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?'
'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. 'What do you say, Piglet?'
'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?' said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
'It's the same thing,' he said.

-A. A. Milne, Winne the Pooh

{images via pinterest}

This morning P and I are headed out to brunch before we get to work. I am feeling a lot like Winnie the Pooh at this moment. :-) Happy Sunday to you!

settee dreams are made of this

2012-01-28T05:30:00.000-05:00

via Anthropologie

I'm on the hunt for one more piece of furniture for our "living room" -- something that can seat a few people but doesn't take up too much room. Aren't these Anthropologie settees funky?? I also like this stripey number from Ikea. P and I just need lots of options for where to sit, okay? And also we like to have people over. :-)

Ikea

Another Austin photo...

2012-01-27T05:30:00.000-05:00

Like they say, nothing says BFF like matching sunglasses. And spandex. And a dog doesn't hurt either.

{weekend trip to Austin & my souvenir!}

I am really in pretty serious withdrawl from these three, and before this we were on the bridesmaid circuit, getting together to be in one another's weddings. Holla! But, that is a sort of stressful/crazy time to hang out, so it was nice to just get together... for no reason.

Oh, sleepovers! The four of us have been at it since I was 11 (and they plotted with my mom to arrange a surprise birthday slumber party!) and it hasn't gotten old. Now it includes wine. But almost everything else is the same. Including the part where we all say weird stuff in our sleep.

cooking books, texas style

2012-01-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

On an antique-hunting adventure in Austin my friend T helped me find the perfect Texas souvenir! I'd been looking for bookends to help organize our little cookbook collection atop the fridge and these boots (spurs included!) sure do the trick. Plus, don't they look sweet next to my mom's recipe box? Now we just need to get cookin'...

a morning morsel: jorge luis borges

2012-01-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.

Jorge Luis Borges, Poeme de los Dones

all images via pinterest

I spent the weekend...

2012-01-24T09:03:00.003-05:00

...in Austin, Texas with three of my best girls (and the newest addition: Hobbes, the sweetest dog) for a much-anticipated reunion!

Don't you worry -- I had a pair of bright sunglasses, too! A little souvenir of a terrific time. Not that sunglasses are as needed in DC right now as they are in TX. Darnit.

We got to see a little more of Austin than we did at T's wedding -- including a few little hikes and a sports bar for the 49ers game. (There were also board games at this bar so I managed to avoid learning anything about football! I was strategizing my next Jenga move. Oops.) It seems whenever we are in Austin the three of us non-locals start dreaming about ways we can move there... sigh.

A few more photos coming soon!

our road trip to virginia beach -- part two

2012-01-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

[guest posted by P]

Just wanted to stop by and post a few more pictures from our trip!

the lovely K

perfect beach weather. Except for the temperature.

annual leather pants craving

2012-01-21T05:30:00.000-05:00

via The Budget Babe

I have no explanation for this, but every so often I have the nearly-uncontrollable urge to buy leather (or fake leather) pants. Why?? I have no idea. Rarely are they actually in style, although right now I think they kind of are. Anyway, usually, the feeling passes before I can afford a pair, and after a month or so I think...whew! Probably good that I didn't just buy leather pants!! But then...a year passes...and I want them again. Ha!

Urban Outfitters -- $89

Anyone out there get this craving? Anyone own faux leather pants I could borrow once a year or so? ;-)

color theory: gray

2012-01-20T05:30:00.000-05:00

I have a 30 day free trial of Snagit...so get ready for some collages! Mwa ha ha.

pearl drop earrings & lace sweatshirt & knit dress & wedges

our road trip to virginia beach -- part one

2012-01-19T07:48:00.003-05:00

A few roadtrip photos... as told by my phone.

Our road trip to Virginia Beach was lovely! We stayed one night in this cute little place (which we found a coupon for online!!) and showed up on the first night of Virginia Beach restaurant week! Off-season in Virginia Beach was beautiful and chillllllly. When we actually went to the beach, I could handle being outside for oh, about five minutes, before I was ready to get back in the car. But it was gorgeous and cute and fun and we had breakfast awkwardly with ten people we'll never see again. (Isn't that so weird about B&Bs??) Also, the drive was wonderful/gorgeous as well. Perfect clear weather.

Road trip!

Hmm... where should we go?

We had a blast. It was the perfect way to kickstart the week. Which now... has started! Oh my. I could already use another weekend. :-)

on refinery 29, modesty & getting dressed!

2012-01-18T05:30:00.003-05:00

{Refinery 29 -- 4 looks from Naomi Davis of The Rockstar Diaries}

The Rockstar Diaries is one of my favorite blogs, in large part because of the sunny outlook of the main writer: this pretty lady, Naomi Davis. She lives in DC with her sweet family and together they have lots of adventures. Refinery 29 recently did a little look at Naomi's style ideas for chilly weather. Color can be a mood-lifter in dreary weather, right?

It reminded, too, that getting ~~obsessed~~ familiar with The Rockstar Diaries encouraged me to think more about how modest dressing could still be fun & quirky. She describes her style in the interview as "fun, colorful, clean, feminine, and modest."

For a long time I really had a pretty negative feeling toward all talk of modesty, which I mostly only ever heard in college campus ministry type settings or read about in a context of international women's rights. Book titles like Secret Keeper and Girls Gone Mild made me feel like we couldn't talk about modesty in the U.S. without traveling backward in time! It seemed like a rhetoric to control and hide women, in danger of blaming female bodies for men's attention to them.

However, as I investigated modesty more (for a paper, of course! and then found sites like Shabby Apple) I started to see a bit more nuance to this dressing rhetoric. If spoken of creatively and compassionately, modesty could be thought of as a way of expressing more of a person, rather than just covering or hiding.

I love the way that Naomi dresses! Stumbling upon her blog certainly inspired me to think more about modest dressing and the art of the everyday in a new way.

Do you have guidelines about what you will or won't wear? Is it a matter of religion, or comfort, or something else? I'd love to hear.

of health crises and simpsons episodes

2012-01-17T05:30:00.001-05:00

The other night P and I ended up eating cookie dough in bed watching the Simpsons.

And I wanted to capture it on my phone.

Because it was just so perfect.

These little random moments are slowly helping me get to a place where I might be ready for a new semester of school to start. Today!!

We had a FUN first five months of marriage. We really did. We went on dates, we saw friends and family, we went to weddings and to new york and met up for lunch and watched movies and went to church and decorated our apartment.

But.

It was not the easiest season. Last semester. And come Christmas I needed a little time to recover. AKA -- I've been sleeping a lot for the three weeks!

Aside from the DC earthquake and hurricane -- neither of which really impacted us that much but which do sound dramatic and are helpful in illustrating the chaos of Fall 2011 -- P and I were rocked by a few things. We knew going into September that me beginning a PhD program at the same time that P was beginning a new job might be a lot of work, and it was, but it was fun work. What we didn't expect was that...

1. Our car radiator had a little meltdown and leaked toxic goo into our car (that got on one of my purses! gross!)

2. We moved out of our apartment once for mice

3. And then again for flooding (because of the mice)

4. My mystery health crisis chaos began and started to take over my life!! Or at least my free time. I was at a doctor's office almost every other week and we ended up at the Emergency Room twice. Uggh!

Predictably, that last one was the most irritating.

Mostly because we just didn't know what was wrong. Nothing turned up. Which is great in a lot of ways, but it was scary, too, because it felt like if we couldn't find something to fix I might never feel better.

But --

P and I got a lot closer, I think, through this strange little season.

First of all, it spurred on lots of jokes. It's amazing how funny things can become in the ER when you have just a paper gown for entertainment! We also pretty much stopped fighting. I don't know if that is good or bad, since I'm always hearing about how healthy it is to fight, but honestly... I think we just didn't have time! We teamed up and got creative, which made it sort of fun in a weird way, like a how-should-we-build-our-awesome-treehouse-since-we're-shipwrecked-on-this-deserted-island kind of way.

By the end of my trip home to California (where I got to see my doctor who knows me!! Isn't it amazing what a difference that makes?) I actually had a diagnosis and was starting to feel better!

Apparently, it is a little (tiny) bit like fibromyalgia, where nerve endings are sending off pain signals for no reason, and they are causing my muscles to go into "spasm." So I've been diagnosed with "pelvic floor dysfunction" and "lower lumbar dysfunction." And no, it is not great for a girl's self esteem to be officially termed as dysfunctional... and also spastic. ;-) But anyway. I just have to go to physical therapy once a week until I'm fixed. And that is that. (I hope!)

They don't really know how or why this started a few years ago -- I keep getting asked funny questions like, "Did you fall on your butt?" and, "Did you start horseback riding?" -- but they do think that stress has made it worse recently.

So.

This is going to be a semester of bubble baths, massages, and cookie dough/Simpsons viewing nights. I think it is going to feel a lot better than last semester, mostly because this will no longer be a mystery health crisis looming over us, but rather an annoying-but-fixable pain problem. Also, no horseback riding.

In the end...

Remember that wedding dress of mine that ended up developing a mysterious stain? And then how, because of the stain, I ended up with a perfectly tailored-to-me dress since I'd taken it to such a fancy place to get it cleaned??

We can think of last semester like that.

We HAD to clean the toxic goo out of our car. In fact, the car fellow made it seem like it was not great that we had been driving around breathing it in for a month already. And yes, the mice/flooding situation in our apartment was obviously yucky and stressful. But then we ended up with a new bed, a trip to New York and shampooed carpet. (Did you miss that funny story? Here it is... part one & two.)

Basically, now it is January and I have a super clean car, a new mattress and boxspring, shampooed carpet in our apartment, and a membership to Massage Envy. And also a very happy feeling about P, since he jumped into all of these situations with me full speed ahead! He took care of what he could fix (the car, the mice) and stood by me as we tried to get through what he couldn't (mystery heath crisis, earthquake). I would say that I have come out ahead.

Whew! What a ride, though.

Now the question is: what will P and I start fighting about in all our newfound free time? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

:-)

a morning morsel: nichole nordeman

2012-01-16T00:44:00.000-05:00

We stutter and we stammer until you say us

a symphony of chaos until you play us

- Nichole Nordeman, Healed

The Portland Cello Proje

my packing list: weekend road trip

2012-01-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

Every January P and I get the itch to go away for a cool weekend. Last year we went to Provincetown, which was snowy and wonderful! The year before that we went to Rhode Island. (Those years we were living in Connecticut.) The year before that we went to Annapolis. It's so nice to be near the ocean in cold weather -- it's quiet and weird and peaceful.

This year we are heading out for a short trip to Virginia Beach.
I thought I'd put together my packing list -- from the ideal simple closet pieces.
[all ideal simple closet images are from net-a-porter.]

(Though I did add a pair of moccasins. I got this pair for Christmas and I love them! They are the perfect road trip shoe, according to A Cup of Jo's travel advice, too. Fancy that!)

comfy clothes for road-tripping and cold weather strolling

a cozy cocktail dress, clutch & shoes for the trip: moccasins, boots & kitten heels

Off we go!

my husband

2012-01-15T05:30:00.001-05:00

last week...de-lighting the Christmas tree that we may have left out just a little too long...

date night -- out for dessert

2012-01-14T11:27:00.000-05:00

Up on this week's rendition of date night... Dinner at home and then out for dessert! Going out for dessert is one of my favorite things. It's all the fun of dressing up and heading out on the town, but much sweeter (and a bit easier on the old wallet!) -- plus, you can order hot chocolate without being looked at askance by the waiter. ;-)

For dinner I was so excited to try Martha Stewart's Asparagus Gruyere Tart. I thought it would for sure be a winner because these are three ingredients that are quite beloved in our apartment: puff pastry, asparagus and cheese. Hello! I was right! We loved it. (Tip #1: We used frozen puff pastry from Trader Joe's like the cheaters that we are...it was delicious!) (Tip #2: We used our brand new pizza cutter to slice it -- thanks, dad!) We ate our tart and watched Modern Family until it was time for dessert.

Then, at 10 PM, we headed out two blocks to a super fancy restaurant for...apple pie! Surprisingly, THEY were surprised when we said we only needed the dessert menu. It's ten pm people! We took it as a compliment that they thought we looked European, maybe?

Could it have been this cool vintage coat? It's a hand-me-down -- hand-me-up? -- from my friend M, my absolute favorite source for clothing. Do you find that all your favorite clothes are from the closets of your friends/moms/sisters/okay, sometimes brothers too? Because I sure do. Maybe we need a simple closet swapmeet.

Overall, the night was a success! Dessert dates are the best.

ethical shopping -- part 3: what does something really cost?

2012-01-13T05:30:00.001-05:00

Forever 21.

Always adorable. Sometimes in trouble for violating human rights.

[images from Forever 21]

So far, when thinking about ethical shopping and a simple closet, I've focused on having less.

This has meant shopping strategically, giving away things that don't work, and *trying* not to buy so much! The idea is that having fewer things that work better will be, for me, a more sustainable simplicity goal than trying to run around naked. Or kill my affection for polka dots. The Simple Closet is still pretty full, by world standards (and I haven't stopped shopping, which you'll know even better by the end of the year) but it has been a step in starting to think differently about style & about stuff...how to use things in creative ways, how to look for quality, how to have a looser grip in general, and in the end, how to save a little money.

Saving money is the part I want to talk about today.

It is totally possible to find simple closet picks on the cheap. Even some classics show up in fast fashion, well-made or with extra touches -- like dresses with pockets. You know what I'm talking about. Some of my favorite favorites are from Target or H&M. P thinks I should buy stock in Old Navy since I love it so much right now. Forever 21 has been recreating Anthropologie looks for under $15 for as long as I can remember.

But what about the ethics of production?
And supply chains?
And labor rights?

Uggh, right?

On the one hand, saving money is a good thing. There is obviously a "simplicity" to that. Spending less seems like a clear winner over spending more, in terms of shopping options. The less we spend, too, the more we have to save or give or buy presents with. On the other hand, though, is what feels like a hidden cost of cheap stuff, clothing in particular. Some of it is made by slaves, some in sweatshops, some by abused workers, some by children, some by underpaid employees.

Part of the point of doing more with less is about being intentional and ethical about consumption. In my world this is not, quite obviously, about giving up on liking fashion, but human suffering trumps it any day.

Like most situations, I find simplicity here to be a bit complicated.

Just as P and I prioritized one simplicity goal over another by choosing a pricier apartment that we could walk to and from, spending more on clothes could be more in line with an ethic of simplicity if it means paying for slightly more fair practices.

But how!?!

I think I've avoided this elephant in my closet for so long because it is just hard to figure out.

In our flat world of transnational corporations, a last stop in L.A. to sew on a button or a tag can sometimes warrant a "made in America" label, even if every other step of the supply chain, starting with cotton harvesting from Uzbekistan, was a major violation of human rights.

Is there any guarantee that a shirt from J.Crew wasn't made on the same sweatshop assembly line as its knockoff at Target? How do we find out more about this? I think some people I know are working on it -- can you help a sister out? Isn't there an app or something that can help tell us? I think there is. Report back!

In the meantime, is it better to spend less on your stuff or to know that it comes free from misery? Is it even possible to find out where our clothing is made? Is there a difference between simple shopping and inexpensive shopping? Can someone please tell me that they have reformed Forever21's policies so that I can go there in peace?! Just kidding.
You know.
Unless they have.
In which case how cute is that polka dot trench coat??

What do you think about all this?

and pasta maker makes three

2012-01-12T05:30:00.002-05:00

For Christmas P got a sweet pasta maker attachment for our dreamy kitchenaid. YES!!

The other night we made our first batch!

finished product: delicious pasta & happy people.

:-)

a morning morsel: blue like jazz

2012-01-11T08:07:00.000-05:00

P and I had the chance to go to a preview showing of the film, Blue Like Jazz. The book on which it is based (same title) had a HUGE impact on me (and zillions) in college. Weirdly, my friend dreamt that I should read it...and he was right! (Part of this big impact was me deciding to try not buying clothes for a YEAR like Penny, the wonderful girl in the book. I made it until April. Which I thought was pretty impressive considering that I was a salesgirl at Anthropologie at the time. I called the dress that ended my fast "el tormento" but anyway...)

I really liked the movie! The best part (in my opinion) of the movie is a monologue by the main character where he says

I'm sorry for misrepresenting God...

God isn't like me.

Not petty, not proud, not scared, not small, not preoccupied, not selfish, not bitter.
Not like us.

Thank goodness.

Seems so obvious, but I actually was grateful for the reminder.

photo via imdb

eye candy

2012-01-10T14:51:00.003-05:00

P met me at the airport on Friday when I flew in (he'd come back earlier for "work") and whisked me off for sushi! We realized we had accidentally let all of Christmas break go by without a single date. Oops! We were a little nerdy and spent a few minutes taking pictures of each other. Ha. Newlyweds, right?

Yum.

;-)

More bows!

2012-01-09T05:30:00.002-05:00

Too bad "dress more like Emma Pillsbury from Glee" wasn't one of my resolutions...otherwise...this jacket might have a new home!

How cute!?!

"Lemongrass is Always Greener" jacket @ Modcloth - $75

My New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-08T18:09:00.001-05:00

Drink more water
Stand up straight
Be a better friend (remember birthdays, etc.)
Wear lipstick more often
Get healthy (solve the mystery health crisis)
Exercise -- in a fun way (Yoga? Ballet? Swimming? Something!)
Unplug every day by 8pm
Call mom & dad more
Go on more adventures with P
Work harder at school (and then stop)

Do you have any resolutions?? I love any chance to start fresh. ;-)

Clean up!

2012-01-07T13:50:00.002-05:00

I'm back in DC! What a wonderful break that was.

Today P and I are packing up Christmas. I thought this would be kind of a bummer task, but it feels good! Cleaning up for the new year.

Now...when can I start decorating for Valentine's Day???

What I Wore: Cold Days

2012-01-06T03:44:00.003-05:00

This was NYC but I swear I look the same in every city. Scarf, boots, coat = good to go!

Bring it on, winter.

P.S. This is what it looks like when I make a blogpost from my iphone. ;-)

sharing art

2012-01-04T05:30:00.000-05:00

Free is Art is a terrific organization that brings art to low income families in the NorthEast.
They are trying to raise money to cover 100 hours of free music lessons by January 12.

It is such a blessing to have opportunities to be creative and work with art. I love that this organization is making art & beauty & creativity available to more people, especially kids. How rad.

a few holiday photos

2012-01-03T05:30:00.000-05:00

a sweet shot of my dad's kitchen

luckily, P is related to the best bartenders

ha. a special moment captured

Here I am reading one of my Christmas presents from P and worrying that everyone is hanging out without me.
(But I'm being proactive about it!)

awe! the guard dog.

a few photos from P's birthday bash

2012-01-02T05:30:00.000-05:00

the tree at P's parents' house!

a p birthday present = new camera lens

that empty chair is P's...up taking pictures, as always. ;-)

Now he is 29! Look out, world.

san francisco trip

2012-01-01T05:30:00.000-05:00

Last week P and I got to spend the day in SF with his parents and brothers!

We basically ate our way through the city, including coffee.

And P took pictures...

:-)

As much as we love DC, part of me still feels like this is our city!

2011

2011-12-31T15:49:00.000-05:00

Hooray! 2011 was an incredible year.

It is going to be hard to beat it.

a year of simple closet shopping: Dec. 2011

2011-12-31T05:30:00.005-05:00

December 2011
Purchase 1: Leather Ankle Boots
(Clarks via Nordstrom Rack -- $75)
Why: When tall boots don't fit under jeans & trousers these are more appropriate than sneakers, plus they keep my feet warm and dry. I've been looking for some to help my what-do-wear-as-a-TA questions every morning. They were sort of expensive, but I'm thinking these are more of an investment-type thing that should hopefully last forever. "Little boots" are, for some reason, not P's favorite look, so I have vowed to P to only wear them with pants that cover the top, to save our marriage. I'm so gracious that way, right? :-)
3 ways to wear? With jeans, with trousers, with black pants. As long as the top is covered.

Purchase 2: gray strapless dress

(Anthropologie sale -- $60)

Why: I've been hoping to find the perfect "anniversary" dress to wear with the lace shrug from my wedding dress. (It was one of my main hopes in searching for a wedding dress that a piece of it could be worn again, especially on anniversaries, so the little lace bolero was perrrrrfect.) I know it's a few months away, but this gray dress really seemed like the perfect thing, since it would work as a cocktail dress all year 'round, go with my one pair of heels (bright red!) and work for anniversaries with the white lace. It was sort of an impulse-buy, but also sort of planned...theoretically. (Also, because I already have a lot of dresses, I got rid of two that this one can replace.)

3 ways to wear? With the lace shrug & gold flats, with red heels and a navy sweater, over a long-sleeved black t-shirt with embellished flats.

Purchase 3: another striped t

(Old Navy clearance: $5.49)

Why: I have to admit, this is not exactly something I needed in the sense that if I didn't have it there would be a huge hole in my closet. But. I love stripes. And I am always spilling coffee on my shirts. (Sabotaging the simple closet!) So when I found this cute one for $6 I had to scoop it up.

3 ways to wear? With jeans, with a teal skirt & brown boots, with black pants and red ballet flats.

Total for December: $140

Rating: Eek! This is more than I meant to spend in the month that we also were buying Christmas presents!! Oops. But should the gray dress really count? I mean...it's for a good cause...our marriage! No? Ok. Well anyway. Goal for next month: Buy nothing! Or at least, buy less. ;-)

a year of simple closet shopping

2011-12-30T05:30:00.000-05:00

Here's what I'm going to do.
Starting tomorrow, at the end of each month I'm going to tell you what I bought that month. December 2011 to December 2012. With the goal of buying much less. But also buying much smarter. Because I want to keep track of what I'm doing and be somewhat accountable for it. And because I trust you not to take this moment of cyber-vulnerability and be mean about it. :-)

Here are 5 rules I'm going to try to follow.

The rules:
1) Buy as little as possible
2) Buy only good quality things that I love & that will last a long time
3) Everything has to be able to be worn at least 3 ways
4) Everything, price included, has to be listed here
5) Buy second-hand when possible

Here is what I'm aiming for, eventually: the ideal simple closet. A small collection of terrific things that work every which way. (I'm a long way off!)

Why?
I love clothes, but I hate clutter.
I love art & style & creative expression, but I want to resist materialism!
I share a closet with P. :-)
I want to be a good steward of our resources. In other words, I want to not blow all our money at Anthroplogie all the time. (Only sometimes. Just kidding. Heh.)
Also, I think this could be fun!

and happy birthday to P!

2011-12-29T18:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was P's birthday! My best friend. My favorite person. Yay! ;-) We celebrated with our families and continued the Christmas break tradition of eating too much!

Ideal Simple Closet: Fun Extras

2011-12-29T05:30:00.000-05:00

Once your simple closet basics & seasonal additions are taken care of (and there is room in your closet, wallet & heart for a few more things) this is what I would add to round out the simple closet. These are the pieces you could live without...but having them makes getting dressed feel a bit more creative!

[all images from net-a-porter]

1. Vintage Dress

With a sweater it can act like a regular dress amped up a notch for work or school,
but on its own with sandals it will wow the crowd, whether at church or a wedding.
Best to buy these in person at a thrift store to make sure it really fits.

2. Evening Gown

Save a prom dress...just in case!

3. (Faux) Fur Coat

Add some whimsy to skinny jeans and a sweater or go all out with the vintage dress, kitten heels and pearls.

4. Dress-up Boots

For cold weather dates.

5. Maxi Dress

Casual & easy for the summer.

6. Mega-watt Prettiest-girl-in-the-room Party Dress

go for bright red! why the heck not?

7. Wedges

With shorts and a t shirt you'll feel like a summer crush, with the floral dress you'll be ready for picnics or outdoor weddings where a wedge will keep you from slipping into the grass with your heels!

8. Embellished Flats

Sparkle doesn't require height!

9. Flirty Skirt

Add a long sweater or button down t to dress down, or the camisole and metallic sandals for girls' night out.

10. Gauzey Cocktail Dress

Add the fur coat and heels for the ultimate glam factor, or play it cool with a cardigan and black flats.
Good alternative for winter weddings or a trip to Paris.

11. Bright Skirt

12. Trousers

For professional days when pencil pants don't quite...fit. ;-)

13. A few extra Cozy Sweaters

14. Ankle Boots

Easier to slip on under flared jeans or trousers, cute & edgy with black tights and a dress

15. Bright Day Dress

Light up the room! Any room. Any time. ;-)

16. Moccasins

comfy, casual cool

christmas morning at my dad's house :-)

2011-12-27T03:47:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas day was so fun and a little nuts. P and I woke up at my mom's house and got to open presents and have breakfast there. Then we headed over to my dad's, with my brother, and got to open MORE presents, and eat more! Then, I learned to play a very important card game, that makes P like me more. ;-) And after that, we headed to P's house and opened even MORE presents and had dinner with his family! Whirlwind. And so so fun. Here are the photos P took at my dad's!

{shot by the wonderful P}

Heh.

Christmas special part one.

Christmas special part two.

Fun fun fun fun fun.

simple closet revisited

2011-12-26T05:30:00.003-05:00

Moving in with P & sharing a big closet together helped me to think even more about how much I had that I really didn't need.

I decided to revisit the Ideal Simple Closet idea, update the collections, and play around a little with all the different things you can do with fewer than 75 articles of clothing. {To be sure, this is already much more than most people in the world have, but for us Americans, it gets radical to downsize (even just inside your own closet). Here is my original explanation of what the point of all this is, but in short...

Part of the project of this blog is to explore the idea of simple style -- including a simple closet. The goal is to have fewer things that last longer, work harder, and are purchased smarter for a more peaceful wardrobe and wallet!

The point is -- we may have more than we need.
Even more, though, I suspect we may have more than we want!

What could we replace that would make things simpler? So that we could stress less and feel better, warm & somewhat stylish but not distracted.

And what would simplicity in this respect free up for others? Clothes we can pass on to friends or those in need, money we could give instead of spending on new things.

So -- each of the original posts are updated based on what I found I actually wore and didn't over the last few months.

There is a "capsule" to start with,
additions for the spring & summer
and the fall & winter.

And then I added the gaps to my Christmas wish list. (Not SO simple, over here.)
;-)

Next I'll post the fun extras that make it more colorful, and then maybe some different outfits that you can make with these ingredients.

Hurrah! Here we go.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T04:25:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to you!!

{Christmas Tree farm...shot by P!}

We are home in California and so happy! It is a day for visiting families & eating & sharing presents & more eating. And thinking about Jesus. And eating. ;-)

Tim Gunn's fashion checklist

2011-12-23T05:30:00.000-05:00

In addition to packing guides, I have a major weakness for any kind of "wardrobe essential" type of list. That's why I tried to make my own with the Ideal Simple Closet (more on that coming tomorrow!). Anyway, here is one I hadn't seen before that I found over at Simple Mom (I love that place!). It's by Tim Gunn, from Project Runway. If anyone can make a simple closet work, it should be him, no? (Luckily his list is for us, ladies, not his own closet.) So here is Tim's list & Tsh's annotation.

Short & sweet.

I love how proper "a sweatsuit alternative" sounds. Ha! But yes, that is definitely an essential. ;-)

Over the next week or so I'll be a revisiting of "the simple closet" idea, and a kick off to a little shopping experiment I'm going to try.

comfortable holiday look

2011-12-21T05:30:00.002-05:00

image via anthroplogie

I love this combination of a cozy sweater and a glitzy skirt for the holidays. (It's what inspired me to try to find my own sequin skirt!) I love dressing up, but sometimes I end up picking stuff that is actually uncomfortable for things I do at parties...like eating. Or sitting. Or breathing.

To stay warm and comfy, I love this instead. It's still festive, but doesn't require whale boning. Yes please. And bring on the pie.

(Plus, in some ways, separates are more "simple closet" friendly, since you could easily wear the sweater with jeans or pencil pants. The sparkly skirt may not be as versatile...but...I'm up to the challenge.)

BREAK

2011-12-20T05:30:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I officially went over final grades for our little undergraduates with my professor. My final papers are written, their papers and final exams are graded, our bags are (almost) packed and today we are outta here! California here we come!!

Here's the thing.

After months of alwaysalwaysalways being behind in at least 4 different books, now I have almost a month in which I can read whatever I want!

The options terrify me.

I no longer know how to choose my own book. And I certainly don't remember how to read it in more than 24 hours.

I need help.

What good books have you read lately? It can be anything! Classics. Funny-girl-memoirs. (I love that that is a genre now, by the way.) New novels. Theories of religion. If any of you are still out there, send me a winter break life line! I don't want to turn to Oprah's book club, but I will if I have to. ;-)

a blessed little book stack from my yale days!

the dream of the peacock

2011-12-19T08:09:00.001-05:00

by stella maria baer

Isn't this beautiful?

It is from a collection centered around a peaceable kingdom.

It's my favorite.

This one reminds me of me & p. ;-)

navy trench

2011-12-18T05:30:00.001-05:00

When P whisked me off to Paris for a weekend proposal, my roommate H stepped up to the sartorial plate and lent me her adorable navy trench coat. It has since been memorialized in our engagement pictures, and every time I look at them I think: Oh, I am so lucky to be married to P, the handsome devil. Followed closely, though, is the thought: Hmm, I wonder where I can find a navy trench coat of my own?

see the rest of our engagement pictures here

In case you are struck by the same thought (the latter! back off, people!) I compiled a selection for us!

From J.Crew...
The Matinee Trench
$$$
Pros: Hood!

From Tommy Hilfiger...
The Emma Trench
$$
Pros: classic!

From Juicy Couture...
The Long Sleeve Cotton Mac Coat
$$$
Pros: cute flared skirt

From Kate Spade...
The Trista Trench
$$$$$$$$$ ;-)
Pros: Adorable ruffle, longer length, flared skirt...sigh.
{Cons: costs a bajillion dollars!}

you know sometimes...

2011-12-17T05:30:00.003-05:00

how you sulk because you got lost on your way somewhere and then are kind of rude to your husband but realize later the problem is actually that your jeans are too-tight because of a certain winter finals-induced inactivity? no? that doesn't happen to you?

well, anyway, before that little debacle i actually turned in both of my final papers (wahoo!) which we were sort of out celebrating, even though i still have to grade a bunch of stuff before I'm freeeeeeeee.

and while we are talking about freedom, let me tell you that on monday p took me out on a little study-break for tex-mex and the muppets movie. it was the perfect final push to get those papers written! (while singing...and dancing...with muppet music in my head.)

When we saw this sign for the "lotsarita" all we could think was...

you must be this tall to ride the ride.

luckily for me, i am! and luckily for p, he is about my same height.

in other news, i love the muppets now!!

LOVE.

i totally get it. they are great! it could be the finals-induced mind numbness, or the margarita, or the jean-tightness-seasonal-depression (there's no bright light therapy for that!) but i was absolutely dying of laughter, and i also cried. so. there you go. ;-)

this weekend i have to grade grade grade even though a million of our friends are in town right now and what we really want to do is just spend all our time hanging out with them before we leave on tuesday.

but then we get to go to california!

yeah!!

and then after that it is christmas!

yeah!!!

preoccupied

2011-12-16T05:30:00.003-05:00

{A photo of J from this post.}

A good friend of ours, J, was beaten and arrested on Monday for participating in the Occupy movement in Seattle. P and I were upset by the news, but inspired by the way he told his story, which you can find here. J and his wife are such inspirations to us, and their consistent striving for simplicity has hugely impacted me (even if sometimes it might be hard to tell!) for its lofty goals of preserving our tiny planet and serving people well. They moved to Seattle to plant a church, and J was involved with Occupy in solidarity with the port workers his faith community had gotten to know.

I have heard some interesting takes on this movement (and moment), exploring whether Occupy Wall Street is critiquing the American Dream or simply asking for access to it, but I confess that for the most part, to me, it had felt distant and disorganized.

One thing is clear though -- this economic system is far from perfect. In it, many people are chewed up and disposed of, and any time we see that people of faith (like J) ought to be at the front lines of the outcry.

He writes,

There are so many excuses to avoid it: “The issues are so complex,” “There are two sides to everything,” “I don’t want to alienate anyone and lose a chance at making an impact later.” But as the great preacher/activist William Sloane Coffin once said,

“Not taking sides is effectively to weigh in on the side of the stronger.”

As finite creatures, we cannot fight every worthy battle. But refusing to participate in any struggle for a more loving world is a nihilistic rejection of even our very finite power. Right now I am praying for the courage to transform the molecules of my anger and the raw material of my frustration into the greatest, most indestructible, most transformative power on earth: unconditional love in action.

Something to encourage and galvanize us.

Because ultimately simplifying our apartment, or having adventures, or creating art, or celebrating, or surrounding ourselves with beauty, or meeting new friends, or encouraging each other, is about connecting to the people we share life with and the God who made it. This requires a deep concern for suffering, and a deep love of justice. A love of the beauty of creation and community, and a concern for the ugliness of oppression and injustice.

gracious gaze gift guide 2011 ;-)

2011-12-15T05:30:00.005-05:00

In case you are still searching....here is a little holiday gift guide!

{Everything is under $60}

An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails
The Guide to Living Colorfully
Castle Key Bottle Opener
Cafe Mug
Fair Isle Topper Hat
Flying Colors Rainbow Bracelet
Mulling Spices Sachet
Bon Appetit Napkins

Wool Dots Skinny Tie

Minnetonka Slippers

Nordic Accent Sweater

Fire Drop Earrings

IJM Donation

Whiskey Shave Soap

some photos from our weekend

2011-12-14T05:30:00.002-05:00

at first when we knew p's family was going to be in nyc last weekend we thought we'd go meet up with them, but that it would probably be a bad idea, since it was going to be the middle of finals.

then our apartment erupted in a bit of chaos, and we had to leave anyway!

so I wrote one paper on the ride up and one on the ride down, and got up a bit early to work while we were there, but we were still able to go and it was so so fun. here are a few of p's phone photos from our quick adventure.

Now back to work! ;-)

P.S. When we came back our carpets had been shampooed, our furniture had been put back, and mouse holes had been boarded up. Hooray!

feel better

2011-12-13T05:30:00.001-05:00

Though the mystery health crisis is still pretty mysterious, after seeing a lot of doctors we have pretty much figured out that it is a nerve-confusion situation, causing some pain to appear when it isn't supposed to. Most of the time it isn't so bad at all, and then every once in awhile it gets worse, but I'm hoping it will all go away after more physical therapy (and they seem hopeful too!) since they seem to really know what they're doing over there.

In the meantime though, these are the things that have been helping me to feel better. I have a feeling they would work for general de-stressing for me later on, too. You know, in case stress doesn't completely stop after your first year of a PhD program. In case, like, it gets harder or something. ;-) The problem is, even though there are ALL these things that help, in the moment it can be kind of hard to remember/do them, so I want to keep this list handy. It might also help with gifts for anyone you know with a stressful life (so, basically everyone).

My friend K gave me a version of this body wash/shampoo/bubble bath combo. over the summer
& it has been a total life-saver! (From Philosophy)

To do...
1. take a bath with candles lit
2. read something funny
3. time alone to think and meditate
4. keep goodies around -- blueberries, sugar cookies, grapes
5. walk over to anthropologie and read a design book on a comfy couch
6. stretch
7. phonecall with mom or dad ;-)
8. going to meet p for lunch at work
9. paint toenails
10. exercise (uh, ok, I haven't tried this yet, but...I bet it would help, if I'd do it.)

What helps...
1. yoga pants
2. thermal t shirts
3. cozy socks
4. slippers
5. fancy conditioner & face masks for mini-spa days at home
6. bubble bath
7. peppermint tea
8. Sarah Groves & Tracy Chapman on pandora
9. wine ;-)
10. a big comfy robe

Most of these are suggestions or gifts from my friends & family...so thank you. Yeah!!

rethinking christmas

2011-12-12T09:35:00.005-05:00

Here's a confession -- I'm pretty sure gifts are my "love language." Do you know this book? The Five Love Languages. It's the idea that we all receive & communicate love in different ways (some through verbal affirmation, or physical touch, or quality time, or acts of service). Anyway it swept through the Christian community trend circuit the summer I was in Cambodia with InterVarsity, so I heard about it a lot. Gifts is like, the bad one -- nice girls have love languages like "quality time" or "acts of service!" But the gender norms of popular Christian books is a topic for another day... ;-)

The point is -- gifts.

I love giving them, I love getting them. I love plotting about what someone might want but not know how to find, or something mentioned in an off-hand comment 6 months before Christmas. I love looking at people's wishlists & making mine. (We use Amazon universal wishlists -- so fun.)

But two years ago P & I stumbled on this little organization, The Advent Conspiracy. It's a recipe for a new kind of Christmas: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.

all images via The Advent Conspiracy

The idea is that what people really want (and need) are gifts of time together, having fun, making memories. Gifts we want are just icing on the cake -- the cake is being together.

Wandering the mall desensitized to jostling & jingling, eyes dilated from the bright lights might not make us feel especially in the mood for the holidays. (Same for eyes-glazed-over online shopping? I'd say so. Not that I would know or anything.)

It's interesting because in some ways this presents a new way to look at simplicity. It's not just that you can give some of that money to people in need. It is also that you will be happier.

This seems to be as much about us getting to have a peaceful Christmas as it is about helping others. It seems to be pointing out how those things are so intimately connected. What we want may not be so different really from what we ought to do, they seem to be saying. It is about others, but it is also kind of about us. What do you think about this? To me, it feels true.

(It's where a kind of conservative Put-the-Christ-back-in-Christmas cry meets a radical liberal call for wealth redistribution. Christmas harmony, to say the least!)

Of course, this is radical news only to a small subset of the world's population -- but it is pretty radical for us.

I still LOVE presents, so it isn't that. (And don't worry -- we are still giving Christmas presents!!) But it is an encouragement to think of what the gifts are differently.

Because what makes a good gift, anyway?

For me, it is the thing that makes me feel thought-of. The thing someone knew I've wanted. The thing that comes as a surprise. It is about the thing itself, but not just that, because it is also about this person -- this gift giver -- who knows me. Not to invest presents with too much power, but really, aren't the best presents the ones that also signal something larger anyway (a relationship, time together, love, family, yadda yadda)?

One thing I love about the little graphic wiseman-meets-gendered-American-consumer graphic (besides her shoes -- are those wedges? just kidding...) is that the wiseman is bringing a gift, too. They aren't necessarily saying gifts = consumerism, either. (Uh, thank goodness!!) But if the frenzy of December doesn't resonate with the peace of the world being saved, with humble beginnings in a manger, with spending time with people you love, with rest, with joy...then maybe we have spent too much time and money we didn't have.

You can watch the Advent Conspiracy video here. It is great.

[AC] Promo 2011 from Advent Conspiracy on Vimeo.

Religious messages meant to stir the emotions with pictures of global poverty and language of making your life better can be, of course, a recipe for total disaster, but I LOVE this. I think they do it right. And usually language of "freedom" as marketing feels manipulative. You-are-not-free-just-do-this-and-you'll-be-free. But with this, for some reason, it doesn't bug me.

Maybe because they're right. ;-)

(This is the season of Advent -- you are free to celebrate.)

:-)

seeing double

2011-12-11T05:30:00.001-05:00

Remember how much I love things that do double duty? One minute it's a coat, the next a jacket! Well, here is another version that used to be for sale at anthropologie. A cocktail dress and skirt combo that you can wear a few different ways. (The skirt buttons off. Which actually makes me wonder if you can also wear the top as a little shell apart from the skirt?)

I think the fact that manufacturers are exploring this arena of multi-way garments is a good sign -- simplicity is catching on! Less is more. Especially if it really is.

It was over at Anthropologie, once upon a time!

Is the simple closet catching on?

Hope so!

packing light

2011-12-10T05:30:00.002-05:00

I am always on the lookout for simple packing resources & this one (put together by Travelista) might be favorite!

Source: travelista.com via Krista on Pinterest

what i wore: our first holiday party

2011-12-09T05:30:00.003-05:00

Remember that time I told you that I've maybe started shopping in the children's section to save money? Well...I may have done it again...for this sparkly purple skirt. Maybe. But I promise, this is the last time.

I'm planning to wear this skirt (size XXL, by the way!) to every holiday event we have, so keep watch.

It passes the middle school dress code fingertip rule...but just barely. ;-)

If you give a mouse a cookie

2011-12-08T23:41:00.005-05:00

More like, if mice move into your boxspring (!!)

Your apartment complex might want to look for mouse holes.

If your apartment complex wants to look for mouse holes, they might move your washing machine.

If they move your washing machine, they might not put it back right.

If it doesn't get put back right, your apartment might start to flood.

If your apartment starts to flood, you might freak out! And then write a slightly-upset email to your apartment complex. (The mouse wasn't their fault! But this actually kind of is.)

If you write to them, they may try to help by coming in the next day while you're gone, moving all your furniture around, ripping up your carpet, and putting huge noisy fans in your apartment to dry it out for 24 hours. (24 hours!? I don't think so! We need to sleep in here, people. It's one room, remember?!)

If that happens...you may find yourself writing a MORE upset email when you get home at ten pm.

Which is what P and I are doing right now. Well, P is doing it. I'm writing this. To you. And thinking about cookies.

via Amazon

I won't tell you too many details about why this was particularly hard to deal with today, but one is that I had my first physical therapy appointment this afternoon to address this mystery health crisis that I have, and though it makes me hopeful that this will eventually get better, in the meantime it freaking hurts!! :-( Other, less dramatic reasons -- this particularly busy season this happens to be for both P and me. He had a big (but exciting!) work event tonight, and my final papers are due next week. It just means that being able to put health and home crises on hold would be so nice!

In other news, my dad is pointing out that two religion scholars ought to be able to tell signs from God when they see one. DC earthquake? Then hurricane? Then pests? Now flooding?! What more do we need before we move home to California already? ;-)

Basically, P and I are doing fine. We are still (mostly) healthy and very happy, but we have some annoying things we are dealing with, and we are really looking forward to that Christmas vacation coming up!

#firstworldproblems
#butstill.

ethical shopping -- part two: shoes of tomorrow

2011-12-08T05:30:00.005-05:00

{read the first installment of ethical shopping about exotic anthropologie advertising here}

My thoughts about TOMS shoes have gone back and forth A LOT since I first learned about them.

www.toms.com

In a nutshell, for every pairs of TOMS shoes you buy, the company provides a pair to a child in need. They wrap it up neatly in this little summary:

"One for one" being, in my mind, the operative statement. You get to give, and get, all in one. It would seem like an easy system to support, especially from me, someone who both loves shoes and is actively trying to think about ethical consumption on our tiny planet.

And yet, something about it feels like it requires a little more investigation.

I used to think TOMS were ugly, I think. But I don't anymore -- I actually think they are super cute! (Does this happen to anyone else with trends? After you see jumpsuits, ankle boots, over-sized reading glasses, etc. enough times, you start to think they look good, despite how ridiculous a first impression they may have made? Anyway, trends are an ethical issue for another day.)

Nordstrom

In the meantime, about TOMS, I wonder what does it mean to buy products that do your giving for you?

On the one hand, if you are going to buy shoes anyway, why not buy from a company that tries to be at least somewhat socially conscious? On the other hand, though, some evidence shows that we are less likely to give to charity if we have purchased products like this, that give a small percentage to a charity.

I'm not anti-TOMS. Some critics of the company are upset about religion, and some are upset about the efficiency of TOMS' strategy, arguing that it would make more sense to employ people in need long-term than to have shoes cheaply made in China and distributed to children who may outgrow them soon. I get these criticisms, and the latter one I think has a lot of merit, but this isn't exactly what I find unsettling.

I think it's more about me than about TOMS.
How eager am I to try to buy my way out of worrying about the poor?

However, if supporting TOMS is just one way that a person engages, and the company itself is raising awareness about poverty (and shoelessness) even through trendiness, that doesn't really seem so bad. Of course, some people would argue that it is capitalism itself that generates poverty (even requires it) so a company designed to make a profit will always be part of the problem, not the solution. Are there some differences, though, between companies like Kate Spade or Shabby Apple, who develop partnerships with specific organizations/causes that function independently to support women in need, and companies like the Gap (with its project red campaign) and TOMS? Or is it all the same -- marketing. ;-)

Basically, I think I come down on an anything-helps, I-think-they're-cute-now, pro-TOMS side, but would hope that all of us who buy things like this (and I do!) recognize that we are participating in another kind of social economy where the status symbols we are seeking come from a certain imagining of "doing good." And purchasing that kind of reassurance has to be a beginning, not an ending, for our social engagement. But that's just my reading of it (with the knowledge that I am particularly susceptible to this kind of consumption-as-service) and I would love to know what other people think.

{Here is a collection of other resources for critical thinking about TOMS, if you are interested.}

In the end, I still suspect that a small closet of clothes you can wear every which way and shoes that last a long time may be the best way to free up resources to share, but you know, simplicity is a process...every once in awhile you find yourself buying a sequin mini-skirt...but more on that tomorrow! ;-)

if you have a moment today...

2011-12-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

...and need an advent thought to ponder that will inspire & energize you...

check out this reflection on Mary.

That Mary.

;-)

Radical Mary.

My friend M connected me to this writer/speaker/radical, Michael Stavlund, and I am so glad! (Thank you twitter!)

I'd like to say, too, that his posture is such an inspiring one with which to approach the Bible.

"So I am a powerful and privileged person, who has been trained to see myself as marginalized and oppressed." So insightful.

And yet, you know, we have this urge to understand, to be radical, to see something new in place of the American Dream. And who can we look to for inspiration? Mary. Mary who recognized in her magnificat that God has used a teenage girl to bring down the kingdom of Rome.

He goes on to say,

Mary is not sitting down with her legs crossed and her hands folded. No, she’s standing up, standing with the prophets and the Judges. She’s standing up with all of the women in the line of Israel who got everything done, and who barely got noticed (much less written about in the Scriptures). All of the women who raised all of those families and who gave their frightened husbands and sons the courage to be called the “heroes of the faith."

Mary is standing up with them, standing up for them, standing there to get the attention of all of the people who haven’t noticed all of them for all of these years and years and years… standing up and looking them all in the eye and saying,

“This is exactly how God always does it.”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful  of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed,  for the Mighty One has done great things for me—   holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;  he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things  but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,  remembering to be merciful  to Abraham and his descendants forever,  just as he promised our ancestors.”

Like Mike, I am a powerful & privileged person, the Bible is not a story about me. But it is a story about God, and about humble-but-proud, scared-but-courageous women like this, who I have a lot to learn from.

Advent. Yes. Yay.

birthday part two: date night with p!

2011-12-07T05:30:00.004-05:00

On Saturday night P took me out, just us, for the best date night ever. Instead of just dessert (which I not-so-subtly asked for here on this little blog!!) P took me out for the whole treatment at Cafe Bonaparte, the absolute cutest restaurant in the world. Or at least DC.

P: Would you rather have dinner at Bonaparte, too, instead of us cooking?
K: Oh, we don't have to do that. It would be fun though...
P: Actually I already made a reservation for 7:30!
K: !!!! {Yay!}

So I put on my date-night shoes! You may remember them from such engagement photos as these or such pregnancy scares as these... :-)

just look at this handsome husband I have! can you believe it?

cheese, honeycomb, walnuts & apples

It was so terrific. We discovered a favorite not-so-steep wine, had a totally decadent dinner that started with cheese, took a steak-frites interlude, and then ended with a grand marnier crepe! Ah!! Then we waddled home. ;-) I love birthdays. So far, 24 is off to a great start, I'll tell you what!

It's certainly not our "simplest" moment, but I have to say -- celebrating makes us so happy. Especially if it involves cheese. (And that combination is nothing new for us!)

birthday part one: dinner with mom!

2011-12-06T05:30:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday, on my actual birthday, I was lucky enough that my mom was in town for work. She, P, and our family friend took me out to Coco Sala -- the same place (and group) as my 21st birthday dinner three years ago!

It was so so fun, and the perfect end to a really hectic week at school. (I graded 28 papers, wrote 2 of my own, gave 2 presentations and read 3 books! But it was all done by Thursday night, which was just perfect.) This was the kick off to a super fun birthday-celebrating and christmas-decorating (and some finals-writing) weekend.

Also, I got some amazing birthday presents...including this coat, pink retro handset (remember that?), a crockpot & some beautiful p-picked-out earrings!

Hello again, chocolate-lounge-away-from-home!

No cancer for me!

Can you tell we're related? ;-)

It was great.

23 was a GREAT year...I married the one and only P, found myself a masters degree, interned at the UN, moved back to my beloved Washington, DC, went to Greece on a honeymoon and started a PhD program*...let's just see if 24 can beat it. ;-)

(*I guess I also began battles with mice & a mysterious health crisis...so let's hope the next year includes winning both of those!)

Happy birthday to me!

christmas at our studio

2011-12-05T05:30:00.021-05:00

These days, when I'm not working slllllowly on my finals, I'm begging P to put on Christmas music and decorate our apartment with me. (Ok. I am doing that while I work on finals, too, but it is more consistent when I stop!) As a result, our studio apartment is a mini-winter wonderland right now, complete with tiny tree and stockings!! And tonight P took photos of it all, and they look terrific.

Come on in!

First things first -- our tree. Remember when lights were all she had?? Well, now we've added the LOVE banner from our wedding (seen here & here), some small ornaments, and a Christmas bear that I gave P as a subtle ask-me-out Christmas gift 5 years ago. ;-)

{By the way, we decided to forgo the popcorn-strand idea, lest it encourage the little friends we evicted last week to come back!}

Someday we'll top our tree with a star or maybe a crown,

but for now we have a little bundled cutie-pie swinging from the branches!

Next up -- this nativity set was something I bought in Peru on a wonderful, magical trip with my mom three years ago. I have been saving (and saving and saving) it for when I had a home to put it in. I think it is so beautiful, and the figurines are in a very Peruvian style. Also, a non-white holy family is always good! Not that it quite balances out years of racism within the church and, like, the crusades, but, erm, maybe it is a start. We had a blonde, blue-eyed Jesus in the nativity on the quad one year at Georgetown and it was...well...improbable for a trio of Israelites, to say the least! But I digress...

And actually, as for our other nativity... Ok, I know I just said it's best to not have a white baby Jesus, but this is different...they aren't that kind of white! You know what I mean. Right? Anyway! This nativity was a present from P's mom last Christmas -- it was so fun to get -- it felt like the first thing we'd found for our place together! We love it.

Last but not least, we have some stockings hung on the kitchen counter with care!

We don't have a lot of decorations -- they all fit neatly in one small box! -- but I have to say, there is something magical about changing your house for the holidays, especially this one. It feels like a tiny teeny way of saying yes, there is something about art that matters, something about beauty that helps us see certain things more clearly. Like Christmas. :-)

Yay!!

a morning morsel: pablo neruda

2011-12-04T05:30:00.006-05:00

Quiero hacer contigo lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos.

(I want to do with you what spring does to the cherry trees.)

- Pablo Neruda

I love winter, but I do miss spring in dc -- so beautiful. I took this photo in 2007!

introducing...

2011-12-03T19:14:00.001-05:00

art & ethics
a page for collecting thoughts that appear here

just over there

to the right

;-)

in case you want to see

or are new here

or are confused about what is going on here

which is probably most of us

what do you wonder about this stuff?

what should we be asking

as we look at pretty & ugly things

and wonder about how to be good stewards

with simple closets

and a love of people

and art

and God?

christmas colors at kate spade! {and happy weekend!}

2011-12-03T01:01:00.000-05:00

Hope you have a fun weekend planned! To kick it off, here are some bright & cheery photos from the holiday-minded at kate spade. Like always, they know bright colors cheer up dreary weather!

You're never too old to match the Christmas tree, right?

[all images from katespade.com]

Santa, please take note.

coasters & colorful life

2011-12-02T05:30:00.002-05:00

Mercy House is a maternity home in Kenya for teenage mothers in need, supported in large part by Kristen at We Are THAT Family. There is a small shop where you can buy handmade goods to support Mercy House, and one of the things they sell is a set of coasters. The coasters are made from rolled paper, and the girls themselves make them by choosing sheets from magazines. Yesterday Kristen posted about the ways that these coaster sets have changed since the maternity home began.

Kristen writes,

The first couple of months, the coasters made by still-learning hands were a work of art, in progress. Constantly improving, all one thing in common: muted, dull colors. When rolling the paper that is to become a coaster, each girl chooses a piece of paper from a used magazine. Sheet after sheet, our girls chose the drab colors.

Now, though, months later, Kristen noticed that the coasters she was stocking in her shop (AKA their family's garage) were bright and vibrant.

To me this seemed like such a beautiful image of how art and justice intertwine. Color, beauty, safety, love. The edges can be hard to find, I think. What a powerful image of color seeping into dullness, of life (and hope, in Kristen's words) growing brighter.

Edit: Mercy House is an organization I've decided to highlight on the blog, so you'll see a button that links to them on the right. This is unpaid -- not an advertisement -- just a link to a mission I'm excited about and want to share! ;-)

it's my birthday!

2011-12-01T05:30:00.002-05:00

Source: flickr.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

our first christmas tree

2011-11-30T05:30:00.000-05:00

!!!!

Isn't she darling??

{We have no ornaments yet, but we are planning to string popcorn! And raid P's mom's collection. ;-) }

the best gift

2011-11-29T05:30:00.000-05:00

P's younger brother came to stay with us last week and gave us the most delicious gift...macarons! He knows how much we love them.

yum.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

2011-11-28T23:02:00.002-05:00

P and I have known for a few days that we had mice in our apartment.

Not a huge deal.

We had a hole patched up, we set out traps, we caught one of the cute/scary little buggers.

I kind of thought we were done.

NOPE.

Guess where they were living?

You'll never guess.

Here's a hint: WE SLEEP ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

They live in our box spring.

You know.

The thing with the mattress on top of it.

That we sleep on.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

To be fair, to the mice, the box spring probably already had a bunch of holes in it, since the entire mattress/box spring set was a Craig's List purchase from two years ago for about forty dollars. (I realize it is possible that that may gross you out as much as the mouse-condominium situation...) And in all honesty...I was really hoping we could get a new mattress sort of soon...so....I guess now we can! Er. Have to. Haha. Now I know the trick to getting new furniture, eh?

P & I are sleeping at his aunt & uncle's house, while this goes on in our studio:

This is how I feel about the situation:

Because:
#1: Hello mice, it is finals time around here! Can't you plan your visits a little better?!
#2: Anyone who just might have been willing to sleep over with us at our studio apartment is probably not going to now!
#3: I have to stop decorating with cheese.

But I'm happy because we get a shiny new box spring and mattress. Not used. Not forty dollars, but also not home to mice. ;-)

our advent calendar

2011-11-28T05:30:00.003-05:00

After being so inspired, P & I decided to go ahead and make an advent calendar! We used a bulletin board, wrapping paper, and business card envelopes so it was pretty simple. We filled each envelope with little tasks or reminders -- mostly fun ("watch Home Alone") but some serious ("read Luke" or "pray for everyone on your Christmas list").

It is so fun to start holiday traditions together as our new little family. :-)

what i wore: thanksgiving day

2011-11-27T12:35:00.001-05:00

{see this shift dress in another outfit here}

Hope your day of turkey & napping was as fun as ours!!

Advent Calendar

2011-11-26T05:30:00.004-05:00

from Oh Happy Day!

from Bower Power!

I think it would be so terrific to make an advent calendar this year. As a student, December is a bit frenetic. The beginning is delightful (my birthday is on December first!!) but the next two weeks are typically quite busy with finals. This year I'll have two projects of my own, but I'll also be in charge of actually grading finals for my undergraduates! Gulp. But then, the delicious feeling of exhausted freedom coincides with the holidays' quick approach by the 20th or so. And then, before I know it, it is Christmas! I'm with family and friends, sharing presents, and thinking about that not-so-silent night in a stable so many years ago. (And then, after Christmas, the fun continues -- P's birthday is the 28th!)

Advent, though, is a season of waiting. And it would be nice to have a moment each day that captures that sense of excitement for Christmas and the thrill of anticipation. I'd love to fill each envelope with Christmas-y dates and prayers and small service projects and artsy stuff to do. Or it could be the kind filled with chocolate. ;-)

Do you have any suggestions for what to put inside advent envelopes? Watch the Christmas Story? String popcorn around the tree?